1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mixing apparatus that mixes audio signals outputted from a plurality of musical instruments and sound equipment, a method of controlling the same, and a mixing control program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a digital mixing apparatus is known which is capable of storing mixed audio data in an external storage device such as a hard disk device (HDD) externally connected to or built in the apparatus and reading out and reproducing the stored audio data.
It has been considered that a user who operates the conventional digital mixing apparatus is never positively engaged in the performance of a musical composition in mixing and recording (hereinafter referred to as “mixing and the like”) of audio data, although he or she is engaged in the arrangement of the musical composition by changing a mixing rate of input audio data by means of a fader (volume controller), etc. or by changing parameters of an effecter or the like to change the volume and tone quality of input audio data.
For this reason, the conventional mixing apparatus is not provided with a function for enabling a user to be positively engaged in the performance of a musical composition.
Since a user cannot be positively engaged in the performance of a musical composition physically when using the conventional mixing apparatus as stated above, he or she cannot be satisfied compared to a person who performs a musical instrument.
To insert audio data (waveform data) obtained by performance into a musical composition being subjected to mixing in the conventional mixing apparatus, it is necessary to provide a sampler, a HDD for sample-recording, or the like so as to convert reproduced tones into digital audio data and input them to the mixing apparatus as situation requires. This requires a high cost since there is the need for providing expensive equipment such as a sampler, and requires a lot of efforts since apparatuses other than the mixing apparatus must be provided to convert reproduced tones into digital audio data and store them (i.e. digital recording).